, I'm sorry I went down; but the doctor says the lads got
back after another skirmish, with plenty of cattle and stores."

"Yes," said the colonel; "it was a splendid addition to our supplies
and--"

"Stop! stop! please, colonel," said the doctor. "Roby's weak yet."

"Oh no, doctor."

"My dear fellow, I say yes; and I say," said the doctor, bending down to
whisper to his patient, "Lennox and Dickenson are both very feeble.
Think of them."

Roby took the doctor's hand and pressed it, accompanying the pressure
with a significant look.

"Thank you for coming, colonel," he said, "and you too, major. Emden's
an awful tyrant when he gets us on our backs."

"Right," said the doctor. "Nero was nothing to me.--Now, gentlemen,
just a word or two with the rest of my nursery folk, and then I must
order you off."

The colonel nodded, passed on to Captain Edwards, and said a word or
two; the same followed at Dickenson's side, where the young officer,
forgetful of his wounds, gave his chief a look full of exultation,
receiving a good-humoured nod in return, and Dickenson turned his face
sidewise with a sigh of content.

"Wait a bit," he said to himself. "I'll have it out with the old man as
soon as I get better. He's bound to ask poor old Drew's pardon. But
fancy Roby turning like this."

Meanwhile the colonel had passed on to Lennox's side, to find him far
the greatest sufferer of the party present, and unable to do more than
smile his thanks and lie back, extremely weak, but with a look of calm
restfulness in his eyes that told that there was nothing mental to
trouble him and keep him back.

"What do you think of them, colonel?" said the doctor as soon as they
were outside.

"All much better than I expected," said the colonel.

"But what about Roby? He is quite delirious from his wound, is he not?"

"Perfectly calm, sir, with his _mens_ much more _Sana_ than his
_corpus_. I thought he was all wrong at first, but he's only weak--
pulse regular, temperature as cool as a hot iron roof will let it be."
[Note: _Mens sana in corpore sano_.]

"But, hang it all, doctor! his head's all in a muddle about storming the
little kopje and getting the cattle and stores away."

"Yes; that's the comical part of it. He's a bit mixed, and in his
present state I let him think what he likes, so long as it is not likely
to do him any harm."

"But really, Doctor Emden, I fail to follow your reasoning," said the
colonel rathe